In a night of recognition and celebration of excellence, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s leading entrepreneur, and philanthropist received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for the second consecutive year at the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) Employers Annual Excellence Award.
The event, held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, saw the Dangote Group, a Pan-African conglomerate, emerge as the top honoree, securing the award in the ‘Resilience and Sustainable Growth’ category. Additionally, Dangote Cement PLC, a subsidiary of the group, was named the “Best Company in the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Sector” for its outstanding contributions to the industry.
Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, former Chairman of Nestle Nigeria Plc., joined Aliko Dangote in receiving special recognition and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the well-attended event.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was received on behalf of Aliko Dangote by a distinguished team from the Dangote Group, led by Mr. Devakumar Edwin, Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development & Capital Projects. Other awards were also received by Mr. Edwin and Mrs. Adeola Oyetan, Head, Talent Management of Dangote Cement Plc.
Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former President of NECA, presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to the Dangote team, emphasizing the extraordinary impact of Aliko Dangote’s exemplary works:
“The name of Dangote looms larger than life for his exemplary works. I am proud that a lot of employers are here tonight. This is a great opportunity to catch up and build new networks. We need a lot of investments that would create more jobs and reduce poverty.”
Mr. Edwin expressed gratitude for the recognition from NECA, stating:
“NECA continues to remain a partner in progress, rewarding deserving companies for their contribution to national development. The Dangote Group will continue to contribute its quota to nation building and promote responsible business in all sectors we operate.”
NECA President, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, highlighted the significance of this year’s award theme, ‘Against All Odds,’ in acknowledging organizations that have shown resilience in Nigeria’s challenging business environment. He stated:
“In the quest for enterprise competitiveness and sustainable production, we are all winners.”
Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, who was represented by Mr. M. Yusuf, an official of the Labour Minstry, congratulated the employers’ body and its leadership for organising the event to recognise that have displayed resilience despite the challenges facing in the private sector.
Other winners in various categories include Nigeria Bottling Company in the Food & Beverages Non-Alcoholic Sector; MTN in the Telecommunications and Allied Services category; TGI Group in the Agro & Agro Allied Services category; Nestle in the Food and Beverages and Workplace Innovation and Peoplecentric Creativity categories; Julius Berger in the Construction and Construction Services sector; NLNG in the Petroleum and Natural Gas sector.
